New lanes being added to aid Swift Green Line buses and traffic on congested overpass

Everett, Wash. – Construction officially gets underway this week on a project to add new right-hand lanes approaching a busy I-5 overpass in south Everett. The work will help Community Transit’s Swift Green Line buses stay on schedule and will benefit general traffic at this congested location.

The Swift Green Line is the agency’s second bus rapid transit line, set to open in early 2019. The Swift Blue Line serves more than 1.7 million riders a year on Highway 99 between Everett and Shoreline.

To help speed buses along the Swift Green Line, new right-hand lanes are being created on 128th Street approaching I-5 in south Everett. There will be one new lane on each side of the freeway.

Heading west, the new right lane will be for buses and all traffic turning right onto northbound I-5. When a bus is present, the traffic signal gives the right-lane a green light a few seconds before the through lanes to allow the bus to get across the overpass.

Heading east, the new lane will be for all traffic turning right onto southbound I-5. The second lane in will be a bus-only lane to help get buses across the overpass.

Currently, it can take buses anywhere from 3 to 17 minutes to cross this busy overpass. This project will help buses stay on schedule, and will also benefit all traffic traveling across the overpass or entering I-5 from 128th Street.

With today’s official notice to proceed, construction will start this week adding a new lane on the west side of the freeway. During the day, work is limited to the curb or street shoulder. Traffic may be impacted by temporary lane closures between 8 p.m. – 5 a.m. weeknights and on weekends. There will not be any lane closures on Friday or Saturday nights. During the project there may be extended lane closures that will be announced in advance.

In advance of this project, Snohomish County PUD began work a few weeks ago to relocate utility poles on the east side of I-5 to make room for the new lane.

This 128th Street project could take two summer construction seasons to complete, or it may be done by the end of this year. The final timeline depends on how much of the road work can be completed before October.

The Swift Green Line will provide fast, frequent service between Canyon Park/Bothell and Boeing/Paine Field. Last month, construction began on the Seaway Transit Center near Boeing. The Seaway Transit Center will be the northern hub of Swift Green Line connecting Paine Field.